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“Simmer”, the first solo song from Paramore’s Hayley Williams’ solo project “Petals for Armor”, was just released on January 22nd, following a world premiere radio airplay on BBC Radio One. During a follow-up interview on the station, Williams stated that a full-length album will be released on May 8th, 2020, along with news of a tour.

The project was revealed through a series of cryptic hints taking place over the course of six months. Phrases like “I can’t breathe” and references to covering yourself in flowers were popping up on social media accounts of those close to the singer. 

An official Instagram account for the project was created in October 2019, where images and short clips were uploaded sporadically hinting at the project. Over the last few months, pictures of “Petals for Armor” promotional posters hung up in cities around the world such as Nashville, Toronto, London, New York, and Amsterdam began making their way onto social media and creating an online buzz for the upcoming release. Fans took it upon themselves to turn the marketing scheme into a scavenger hunt, posting pictures of the posters on social media and tagging the official account. 

On January 20th, 2020, a new Instagram post appeared with a snippet of a music video captioned “SIMMER by Hayley Williams 1.22.20”.
Williams has expressed that she is still very much a part of Paramore, but this solo project is all her own. Nevertheless, it features Paramore guitarist Taylor York (who is credited with producing the song) and Paramore touring bassist Joey Howard playing on the track.

The “Simmer” music video plays out like a horror movie trailer. Feelings of fear and anxiety are prominent, as most of the footage shows Williams running through a dark forest from an unseen menacing presence chasing her. The lyric “how to draw the line between wrath and mercy” cuts especially deep. The song itself is a brutally vulnerable look into Williams’ personal journey, as well as being a voice of warning for staying away from toxic relationships. In the Radio One interview, she recounts an experience that occurred while she was getting a massage and had drifted into a dream where flowers were growing out of her body, but “in a painful way…it reminded me that I have to stay soft in such a hard world.”  

The opening refrain of “rage is a quiet thing” echoes against a simple, yet layered melody that immediately draws the listener in. Williams experiments with falsetto vocals that shine through in certain moments, but the standout of the track is the smoothness in which she approaches dark pop elements mixed with introspective lyrics and an immersive production.

We have only just dipped our toes into the opaque open waters of the 2020's. If you'd prefer to mellow in the backyard pool of the recent past for a while, here is your haven. Come, wade with us through these 100 decade-defining releases; ground yourself before taking the plunge into the fraught future.

Our planetary prospects are as menacing as ever. The troubled teens are behind us and as we stand on the precipice of a strange new decade, our fate hangs in the balance. Can humanity finally grow up and reach new heights of collective action and mutually beneficial co-operation or is willful ignorance and atomistic individualism cemented as the new normal? Will we double down on self-inflicted doom? I cannot answer these questions; the road ahead remains an agonizing mystery. All we can do is look to the past, to understand the present, to prepare for the future. Here is a time capsule for your inquiries: CJLO's top 100 of the decade 2010-2019. The finest minds of a generation are woven into the tapestry of this decadal chart and playlist. I refer not only to the well-loved artists who grace this tabulation of grandeur, but the phenomenal DJs and selectors of CJLO who provided the airplay and moral support, as well as all the staff and volunteers who have kept our modest yet mighty station going.

It is tempting to say this astounding chart summarizes our musical contribution to the universe, but this in fact is only the topmost tip of the iceberg. These are only 100 releases out of 4098 that charted with us over the past 10 years, and there are undoubdtedly thousands more spun beyond that. It’s fair to say though that this is a profound extrapolation of the loudness concocted at our Loyola campus headquarters and subsequently beamed from our transmitter in the nether regions of Lachine.

Our championing of the local scene and colossal Canadian content come into focus here, with Montreal sensation Kaytranada nabbing the prestigious #1 spot – his studio debut 99.9% is our most played record of the decade. And then there are the artists with repeated entries; staples of station-wide celebration like METZ, Braids, No Joy, Ought, White Lung, Austra, and A Tribe Called Red have all received diehard advocacy from CJLO, often from before they were as widely acclaimed as they are now.

As is inevitable with the transience of Campus/Community radio, there have been many changes to the station and an extraordinary amount of talent has passed through our ranks throughout the past decade. And then there are the constants; those whose unwavering commitment has imbued our organization with deep institutional wisdom. On that note, shout outs to our Metal Music Director and former Program Director Andrew for taking on the major task of annual chart calculation year after year, and our Graphics Designer and long-serving board member Angelica for the great GIF; one among countless, innovative images under her belt. I also can’t forget my predecessor Omar Sonics, who as renowned head Music Director for more than a decade oversaw the majority of what has charted here.

Who knows what musical wonders await us in the 2020’s, but whatever happens you can continue to count on CJLO to bring you the finest underground sounds, with the most heart.

*Our charts are compiled from actual airplay, broadcast live on 1690 AM in the Montreal region, as well as via our website at www.cjlo.com,  denotes Canadian Content

Hi! I'm Renita. I'm a musician, soundscaper, podcaster and lover of all things sound and storytelling. I'm also the host of my music talk show 5 Songs With. Each week, I play through 5 very different songs, and then explore the unexpected ways they connect. I play everything from classic rock to Bulgarian choral songs to Latin dance music and beyond on the show - you'd be surprised at some of the weird and wonderful ways things are interconnected. It's a rollercoaster of music history and trivia every week!

Metalcore lover and fan of moshpits, JP is a second year journalism in Concordia. Despite his frenchie sailor mouth, he contains himself while doing the Iron Club (@, which he co-host with Hunter and where people can hear some darken death metal one week and some pretty boys metalcore the next. If you see him, just don't tell him that core isn't metal enough, he has plenty of heavy material to show you that it is.

Ahmad Moujtahed

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LOCAL

The community gathering space Coop La Maison Verte in Montreal’s NDG might have to shut its doors after being opened for the last 20 years.

The cooperative that offers environmental products and workshops is struggling financially. Members say they are running out of resources and new ideas to save the store.  

A general assembly meeting will take place on January 16th to explore options and share new ideas. The goal is to relaunch the store based on the community's current needs.

NATIONAL

More than 90,000 cases of the flu have been reported in Canada since mid-December. This marks a significant increase in influenza outbreaks, according to The Public Health Agency of Canada.

There has also been at least 10 flu-related deaths across the country.  A student in Winnipeg has died due to influenza complications, while two deaths have been reported in New Brunswick.

Health officials are reminding people to get flu vaccinations as they are the best defence against influenza.

INTERNATIONAL

Violent protests spread across Iran, as evidence pointed to the involvement of the Iranian military in connection with the downing of flight 752.

 Protestors expressed shock and outrage over the plane crash that happened a week ago. They also denounced the misleading statements from top officials, who only admitted responsibility three days later.

In an attempt to regain the trust of citizens, Iranian officials said a special court will be set up, and those responsible for the missile strike will be punished.